Route 125 Rochester/Durham bus service starting

DURHAM — University of New Hampshire Transportation Services will begin weekday public transit service between Rochester and UNH/Durham Monday, Feb. 18. Wildcat Transit’s “Route 125, Rochester Express” will have seven daily runs Monday through Friday.

The route will begin at the Rochester Home Depot, which will serve as a park and ride for Rochester-area passengers. Additionally, the bus stops at the intersection of Route 125 and Route 9, near to the Barrington park and ride, and at the Lee Market Basket. UNH campus bus stops include the Leavitt Center, Field House, and McConnell Hall. A trip between Rochester and UNH takes about 35 minutes. The one-way fare is $1.50; passengers with valid UNH student or employee IDs ride for free.

Support for the resumption of public transit service along the 125 corridor has been accumulating since a similar service was eliminated in the late 1980s. This new route is made possible with assistance from an 80 percent three-year federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant for capital and operations. An environmentally-friendly compressed natural gas (CNG) bus has been purchased specifically for this service.

Please direct any questions about the creation of the new route to Beverly Cray, operations manager at UNH Transportation Services, (603) 862-1689 or beverly.cray@unh.edu. Specific scheduling questions can be directed to the Wildcat Transit dispatch center at (603) 862-2328 or www.unh.edu/transportation/wildcat/RochX.htm.

UNH Transportation Service operates Wildcat Transit public transportation service from UNH/Durham to surrounding communities, as well as other transportation programs to support the university and its neighbors.